Summary
- Qualify for Southwest Companion Pass with 135,000 points.
- Earn pass without flying by using credit cards, staying at partner hotels, or shopping/dining.
- Specialty options include earning points by taking market surveys or enrolling in Emergency Assistance Plus.
With the Companion Pass that many airlines offer, you can choose a person to fly with you for free. Five airlines in the US offer this benefit – one of them being Southwest Airlines. It was recently that Southwest Airlines brought back its Companion Pass Promotion. Unlike some airlines that offer a companion pass but charge taxes and airline fees, Southwest’s Companion Pass comes without the airline charging for “unlimited times whenever you purchase or redeem points for a flight.” And what’s more, you can earn the Companion Pass without flying. In this article, we are going to take a look at how.

Related
A Complete Guide To The Southwest Companion Pass In 2024
This option has quite a lot to offer.
In order to qualify for the Companion Pass, you will need either of the following within a calendar year:
- 100 qualifying one-way flights
- Earn 135,000 qualifying points
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
So, people who are looking to earn the companion pass without flying need to acquire 135,000 qualifying points. But what are the five ways of doing that without taking to the skies? Let’s find out.
5
The use of Credit Cards
Use the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card
All rapid rewards points don’t count towards the 135,000 qualifying miles needed for the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. Regarding this issue, the airline writes:
“ Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest®, points earned on Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards® partners.”
Photo: Chase Bank
Only two cards qualify for this – the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, which has an annual fee of $69, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, which is priced at $149 per year. The advantages of each of these cards are different:
Perks | Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus | Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority |
---|---|---|
Anniversary points | 3,000 | 7,500 |
Points per dollar | 2X | 3X |
Some of the benefits in using the Rapid Rewards Priority that are not included in the Rapid Rewards Plus are:
- When available, 4 Upgraded Boardings per year $75 Southwest® annual travel credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points towards A-List and A-List Preferred status for every $5,000 you spend
4
Travel with select partners of Southwest Airlines
Giants such as Mariott Bonvoy, and car rentals such as Hertz have teamed up with the program
You’ll also earn the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass without flying if you travel with some select partners of the airline. These travel partners include the following
Hotels | Rental Cars |
---|---|
Southwest Hotels | Alamo |
BW Western | Avis |
Marriott Bonvoy | Dollar |
World of Hyatt | Budget |
MGM Resorts (MGM Rewards) | Dollar |
Photo: Elliott Cowand Jr | Shutterstock
In addition to the car rental described above, there are also other car rentals you can use to add qualifying points. These include:
- Hertz
- Payless
- Thrifty
- National
During your stay at the Southwest’s hotels, you will:
- Earn at least 1 point per $1 spent on every booking.
- You will need to provide your loyalty info during or after booking to receive your points.
The Southwest Hotels are located in some of the most bike-friendly cities in the US and also allow the best dog-friendly vacations in the US.
Shop, dine or get gifts from certain places to get miles for every order you place.
Southwest has a range of delights for anyone participating in the options it offers for shopping and dining at select places.
Photo: Southwest Airlines
Depending upon the plan, the enrollment bonus, and the other perks that come along with the plan are also different.
Plan | Enrollment Bonus | Additional perks | Time for the bonus to appear in the Rapid Rewards Program |
---|---|---|---|
Rapid Rewards Shopping | N/A | Gain access to exclusive deals and bonus points | six to eight weeks from purchase date for points |
Rapid Rewards Dining | a dine of at least $25 within 30 days of enrollment | 300 bonus points for every subsequent 1,000 points earned through any combination of dines and reviews | Up to six weeks |
gifts with 1-800-Flowers.com | N/A | 1,000 points for each order of $29.99 | Eight weeks after delivery |
Home wine delivery with Laithwaites | 2,000 bonus points with your introductory wine club case delivered at home | 1,000 points on each future club case purchased | N/A |
gourmet gifts with Harry & David | N/A | 1,000 Rapid Rewards points for each order of $29.99 or more | Eight weeks |
2
Choices for your home and lifestyle
Earn up to 15,000 enrollment bonus for choosing an electric supplier.
There are a couple of choices that help you earn rewards points by simply signing up for a few programs that could be a part of your lifestyle. If you are a Rapid Rewards® member residing in either of the following places:
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
you can earn Rapid Rewards Points for choosing NRG Home as your electric supplier.
If you are a resident of Texas, you can switch to Reliant, an NRG company, to earn Rapid Reward Points.
Plan | Enrollment Bonus | Additional perks | Time for the bonus to appear in the Rapid Rewards Program |
---|---|---|---|
NRG Home | 10,000 points | two points for every dollar you spend on the supply portion of your energy bill. | 12 weeks |
Reliant | 15,000 points | 500 additional points each month for two years after signing up | 12 weeks |
1
Specialty
Earn points simply by sharing your thoughts
One of the easiest ways to earn your points for Southwest’s Companion Pass without flying would be through “Rewards for Opinions”. The program is completely free to join, and you can participate when you want. You will get points for every market survey you take.
If you are a Rapid Rewards Member, the e-Rewards® Opinion Panel also allows you to earn points by sharing your opinions in a market survey – participation in which gives you e-Rewards currency valued at:
- $15 e-Rewards Currency = 300 Rapid Rewards Points
- $25 e-Rewards Currency = 600 Rapid Rewards Points
- $50 e-Rewards Currency = 1,200 Rapid Rewards Points
- $100 e-Rewards Currency = 2,400 Rapid Rewards Points
The other option to earn points in the “Specialty” section as explained by Southwest is to enroll in the Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+). With this program, you will get:
- 1,500 Southwest Rapid Rewards points,
- 1,500 points every year you renew.
- 500 points if you select an add-on during enrollment or if you upgrade your membership

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Southwest Airlines Makes It Easier To Earn Companion Pass For A Limited Time
The benefit is available for those opening a branded credit card.
The EA+ program has been built by the airlines in partnership with doctors and nurses with the aim of providing protection for you when you are away from home.